Don’t tell my husband (actually he’ll eventually find out since he likes to check up on my blogging!), but I picked up a few items that I’m running low on and wanted to “research” to put onto my blog! I tell my husband as a good beauty blogger, I must stay current with all the new beauty products and trends that are coming out almost all the time. My readers deserve to have a well-informed self-proclaimed beauty expert who is up-to-date with the greatest and latest that the beauty and fashion world has to offer. Hopefully I can convince him to believe this because it’s true, for the most part–haha!

Now let’s get to the good stuff! Here’s all my loot from my most recent loot-y call:

Don’t worry, I plan on posting reviews on products as I try them out! I’m excited with everything I picked up and hopefully you are too!

Do you own anything my loot-y call list? If so, can you comment on any of the products? What’s the most you spent in one day doing a loot-y call of your own? Please share your beauty wisdom with everyone! Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Since starting this blog, I realize the need to provide my readers with perhaps some more adventurous, fun, and interesting makeup looks, in addition to my everyday, mostly neutral faces. Using my Sephora Blockbuster Palette (see my post on this palette for more information!) I decided to branch out and try out some of the shades that I have never worn before in my life. When moving away from my basic taupes, grays, and browns, I tend to like using shades of navy and plum for a nice change of pace. Today’s close-up will feature shades that remind me of the bluish-green/turquoise/teal iridescence I would imagine a mermaid’s tail to have when jumping out of the water and into the sun. (Does this description make me sound like I’m totally into mermaids or something? I’m not!)

Here’s today’s close-up:

I’m providing multiple shots because I’m not too camera savvy about the proper lighting needed for the most realistic colors. Will be working on my picture taking skills 🙂

For my basic, everyday makeup wardrobe I tend to stick to very similar colors and variations of such shades which most of the general public would not be able to tell the difference. But of course, myself being a makeup aficionado and others like me, can assure you that we possess a special ability to discern between multiple shades that might be considered by others to be the exact same color. Since I tend to wear mostly neutral taupes, grays, and browns on my eyes, pinky-peaches on my cheeks, and various versions of nude on my lips, it is quite rare for me to invest in other colors out of my comfort zone. I find the best way to purchase a variety of other colors, especially when I do not plan on wearing them often, is through makeup palettes which often times are at a value price versus paying for each individual shade. One such palette that I like to use when I am going out, feeling daring or fun, needing a pick me-up, or doing makeup for others is my Sephora Blockbuster Palette (the original 1st edition which I believe cost me $40?) which contains a wonderful variety of bright colorful shades, in addition to some of my more familiar neutrals.

As you can see this palette houses 64 eyeshadows, 8 blushes (one that is similar to a highlighting powder), 22 lip colors (some glosses, some fuller coverage lipsticks, and a couple glittery balms), and some cheap-o brushes and applicators. The variety of eyeshadow colors range from pinks, lavenders, purples, grays, pearls, creams, golds, russets, browns, taupes, greens, teals, blues, and I’m sure there’s still other color families I’m not including as well. Lip colors range from plums, mauves, roses, pinks, reds, russets, nudes, golds, corals, browns, tans, and glittery balms in silver and clear (who I have no idea would use unless they perhaps work in a Vegas show?!?!). The blushes in this palette are all very pretty and wearable; shades of pinks, peaches, corals, roses, light reds, plums, and a very pale pink highlighting powder are included. I do have to note that all of the blushes in this palette do contain shimmer, some more than others.

With all of the shades that are provided in this palette, there are an endless amount of looks that one can create. The ~$40 I paid was an absolute steal for all of the product that you are getting! The eyeshadows seem decently pigmented, but not quite as much color payoff than other makeup lines such as MAC or Shu Umera or other artistry lines. I don’t mind having less pigment in the eyeshadows because wearing the bright colors sometimes makes me feel like a clown or something, so the softness and sheerness is appreciated by me. However, the blushes are definitely more pigmented than the eyeshadows and a light dusting with my blush brush gives me beautiful color on my cheeks! The lip colors are my least favorite part of the palette because I just have too many other lip products that I like much better. Although one way that I do enjoy using the lip colors is to blend them with other shades (either from the palette or other lip products I have) and create my very own, unique lip color!

It will take me forever to use up this palette, but I do encourage other makeup enthusiasts to invest in a palette like this if you are wanting to be more creative with your looks, like to experiment, and have lots of options! Sephora has since come out with many versions of this palette, some smaller or larger in size. Many makeup lines also make palettes that are similar.

As a side note, I have recently purchased some palettes from Coastal Scents and BH Cosmetics. I’m very excited to see what all the hype is about that I’ve read on various beauty blogs and on YouTube about these two palettes, but am wondering for those of you who already own palettes from either one or both of these companies, what are the eyeshadows and blushes color payoff/pigmentation like? I’ve seen some who rave about the quality being similar to that of MAC’s and others who say they are chalky and definitely require eyeshadow primer to really show off the colors? Please share your experiences with the palettes from Coastal Scents and BH Cosmetics! I will be posting reviews of both once I receive my palettes, so stay tuned!

Do you own any makeup palettes? If so, which ones? Why do you like makeup palettes? Is there a makeup palette that you are dying to have? Feedback is greatly appreciated!

How long is too long to do your makeup? Some might say five minutes and others might say an hour plus. Well, on average my everyday makeup look that I would, for example wear to work (I’m a fifth grade teacher!) takes approximately twenty minutes or so and provides me with a polished, professional, and presentable look that I’m very satisfied with. I realize that not everyone enjoys the process of “putting on their face” as much as I do and would think twenty minutes is way too long for just putting on makeup, so I wanted to share with you a close-up of a FIVE MINUTE makeup look that I sometimes use when I’m either in a rush, just running errands, or simply being lazy (which in the summertime when I’m not teaching is almost everyday-haha!). Even though many of you may think this five minute makeup look would be great as my everyday look and I thank you for the compliments, but I know that I feel a bit more confident about how I look when I have an extra fifteen minutes to “work” on my face 🙂

When you only have five minutes to “put on your face,” what are your must have beauty products? How long does your everyday makeup look take you to complete and what products are you using for that look? Share your thoughts! Feedback is much appreciated! Remember, although I claim to be “The Word On Beauty,” I’m definitely not the “final” word on beauty so please don’t be shy and contribute 🙂

For those of you needing fresh ideas on makeup looks or you’re just curious about what I’m wearing on my face, here is today’s close-up:

I’m playing on my sister, Joyce’s new Mac Book Pro and using her Photo Book application as well as a traditional digital camera to take photos of my close-up. The colors are coming out differently, but I thought it would be interesting for you to see the differences.

On my face:

Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF 15 in a 50-50 blend of Rich Vanilla and Pure Honey all over the face as my foundation

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Birthday Suit all over the eyelid as a base

Maybelline Cool Effect CoolingShadow/Liner in On the Rocks #37 applied from the top lashline to the middle of my eyelid where my crease would be and also lined underneath on the lower lashline, smudged with my fingers on the eyelid as well for a smokier look

Although I have probably hundreds of beauty products that on any given day might be an absolute must have, the following products are ones that I really do believe that I could not live without EVER and am usually wearing and/or using every single day! In no particular order:

1. Eyecurl II Heated Eyelash Curler–

This is an heated eyelash curler usually sold in Asian cosmetics boutiques and can also be found online. Unlike traditional eyelash curlers, there is no clamp as you can see in the picture. The curl is produced when the user has first applied their choice of mascara and then afterwards (YES, after the mascara is applied!) the user will then place the heated end of the Eyecurl II and place the heating element up against their lashes to “set” their lashed into a curl. I have been using this heated eyelash curler for about ten years now and always have an extra one on hand just in case something happens to it. Friends of mine freak out thinking that the heating element can burn their eyelid skin, but do not worry, the heat is quite gentle and I have never “burned” myself. The heat source for those of you wondering is a single double AA battery. Being lash challenged I have found this type of eyelash curler to actually hold a curl in my lashes all day, where as using a typical clamp type of lash curler which is used before putting on mascara never quite keeps the curl intact.

2. Latisse-–

Keeping on the theme of lashes, this miracle product that many of you have probably already heard of through the heavy marketing both on t.v. and in magazines by celebrities such as Brooke Shields and Claire Danes, truly does work and it is AMAZING! One little drop of the Latisse solution applied nightly to each lash line has over the course of two months or so changed my sparse, wimpy, and pathetic lashes into the longest, thickest, and easy to curl lashes that many of my friends and family have commented on! Yes, Latisse is definitely pricey, but so worth it if you are not so blessed in the lash region like myself. The eyes are a major focal point on your face and with lush lashes framing your eyes, how could anyone resist?!?!

3. Kevyn Aucoin The Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX08–

When I first got this product I immediately had buyer’s remorse and was upset with how pricey this tiny jar (0.63 oz/18 g) of foundation and/or concealer cost me, but boy was I ever so pleasantly surprised to find the contents of this tiny jar to be incredibly saturated with pigment and thus justifying the cost! The high concentration of pigment in this product has allowed me to cover blemishes and imperfections so well that not even products from the Dermablend line can compete! FYI: Dermablend Cosmetics is a line specifically targeting those who have significant areas on their skin that needs highly concentrated and lasting coverage for scars, birthmarks, etc. I don’t have any major skin imperfections or anything of that nature, but I do get an occasional pimple or the mark an old pimple leaves behind that does need some concealing and this product does it so well by matching my skin tone, great lasting power, it appears natural on the skin, and does not feel like heavy traditional concealer. I’m embarrassed to say this because I know better, but even with having this product for over three or so years now, I’ve barely made a dent in the surface because of how concentrated it is–I use maybe a pin point size amount to cover up blemishes. With that said, I must mention that this foundation and/or concealer should be used very SPARINGLY. I haven’t tried it as an all-over face foundation because I just don’t have the need for that much coverage, but I know that this product is also marketed as a foundation as well.

4. Shiseido Nourishing Mascara Base–

Alright, back to lashes again…can you tell that I’m a bit obssessed with my eyelashes yet? My biggest issue with my eyelashes is the ability to hold in a curl. As I mentioned above, using my Eyecurl II Heated Eyelash Curler after already applying mascara does definitely help to lock in and set the curl of my lashes, but in addition to using the heated eyelash curler, I do also use a traditional metal clamp style curler by Shu Umera as the very first step in doing my lashes. After using the Shu Umera lash curler, I then swipe on a few coats of the Shiseido Nourishing Mascara Base to again lock and set the curl before applying my mascara (which is always waterproof–why?–it sets the curl better of course!) and finally using the heated curler as a last step. The mascara base is a clear thick gel that goes on just like traditional mascara, but really helps to give your lashes that extra oomph (thickness and volume) and it never makes your freshly curled lashes droop! Instead the base holds your curl in place so that when you apply your mascara, your lashes never get weighed down and lose their curl. Truly amazing! There are great reviews for this product on http://www.makeupalley.com as well!

5. Models Prefer Automatic Eyebrow Pencil–

Do you ever wonder what crazy women are actually purchasing cosmetics from those t.v. shopping networks like HSN or QVC?!?! Guess what, I have! One of my favorite purchases is a great eyebrow pencil from a line that used to be called Models Prefer, but is currently renamed YBF I believe. This eyebrow pencil comes in only one universal medium taupe shade that gives perfect, yet natural definition to the brows and has really good texture for being an eyebrow pencil–not too dense, not too soft either, not too waxy, and not too hard. Other eyebrow pencils I’ve tried in the past look way too unnatural and harsh, but this pencil allows for sparse and thin eyebrows like mine to look fuller and more defined in a way that does not remind you of women who clearly use black eyeliner pencil to “draw” on their brows. I love these pencils so much I ordered a dozen of them off of eBay just in case they’re discontinued!

6. Styli-Style Line & Seal 24 Twist–

A long-wearing eyeliner pencil that is self-sharpening, easy to apply because of its smooth texture (no pulling or tugging of the eyelid!), doesn’t rub off onto my eyelash curler whike I’m curling my lashes, and it’s incredibly affordable price makes this product one of my favorite eyeliners in the world! I used to be quite partial to my Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliners since I used to work for them, but I got tired of having to clean my eyeliner brushes all the time so I switched over to these pencils and haven’t looked back! I use these pencils to line both the top of my lash lines and also the inner rim or waterline underneath. They always go on super smooth with no skipping like other pencils sometimes do because of their hard texture. The color seems concentrated (I own them in several black and brown tones) and wears all day long without any smearing or smudging to be seen.

Hands down, these are a couple of my favorite cream blushes! The intense colors in the pot apply very softly once your fingers warm up the product and are applied onto your cheeks. The flush of color looks like it is really coming from within your skin as opposed to color just sitting on the top layer of your skin like traditional blushes often do. I must mention that I mostly apply these pot rouges on top of just freshly moisturized skin and/or on skin that has very little foundation on it or at least very little powder since this product can be a bit dense and will not rub out into natural looking cheek color on skin that is not moist and hydrated enough. Even though this product is meant to be used on the lips as well, I very rarely use them for lip colors because the two shades I own are a bit too bright and too light for what I like on my lips, but I have used them on other people in the past when I worked for Bobbi Brown and they do make excellent lip colors as well!

8. mark Gloss Gorgeous Stay On Lip Stain in Bare–

A beautiful sheer nudey-pink gloss at first that dries to a very light nudey-pink stain on your lips as the gloss wears off! Lip stains seem to be all the rage right now and of course I got sucked in. Other lip stains by Revlon, CoverGirl, and Maybelline seem to be supersaturated with color that never look quite natural on my lips even though I always purchase the shades that seem to have the word “nude” in them or at least look very nude and natural on the cap. Instead I usually get a bright fuschia pink shade or an ugly orangish-brown shade on my lips that just makes me look horrid! mark by Avon got it absolutely right with their glossy lip stain! The color “bare” is absolutely gorgeous and gives off the most perfect bit of natural rosey-nudey-pink stain on my lips once the gloss has worn off. I can’t wait to try some of the other shades! One more added bonus is the pleasant minty flavor/scent of this product–not some annoying fruity teenager flavor/scent I would have expected from this line.

Now I want to know what are some of your favorite things (or at least today they are) and why?

Email Subscription to The Word on Beauty

Enter your email address to subscribe to The Word on Beauty blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 13 other followers

About The Word On Beauty

You don't have to be ashamed of your beauty product and fashion obsessions, instead embrace it like I have and subscribe to my blog! A hundred lipsticks in various shades of the same color, a new gotta have VIX bikini in the middle of winter and you live in the Pacific NW, or the lack of self-control when it comes to skipping a visit to Sephora or Ulta when the opportunity arises--does this sound like you? If so, FABULOUS! Subscribe to this blog and satisfy your beauty and fashion cravings :-)